Leenco

A while ago, I requested an upgrade for my FRA - SFO flight (using 20.000 miles + $550) which is on saturday during labor day weekend. I understood chances are poor for this upgrade to actually clear... So far it didn't

Due to a recent accident, I need major knee surgury not too long before my planned trip and might not be able to bend my knee and fit into a economy seat for 12+hrs by the time.

Does this give me a shot to clear the upgrade sooner, even though there's no R or RN space available yet.

I'm asking here before calling United, cause calling them from Belgium not only takes very long, it cost a lot of money. I will call them if I have a fair shot of getting the upgrade.

OK, I know some of you may say, by the upgrade...
a) not available online
b) I don't have a money tree

TIA!!

TaipeiWang

sure they will

RRDD

But we will say, "Buy the upgrade".

How exactly does one get a "medical upgrade".

5khours

I always have a hard time bending my knee. Maybe they'll permanently put me at the top of the UG list. They should probably just bump a paid F pax, to make sure I get a seat.

edcho

There's no official policy for bumping up on the upgrade list due to medical reasons. You may get a sympathetic agent that may be able to do something for you but in the new UA, you would be very very lucky.

To be fair, if there was a policy like that, there would be a lot of people suddenly with knee, back, etc issues w/ doc notes wanting to be upgraded.

Often1

It's extraordinarily unlikely that UA -- or any carrier -- will advance someone on an UG list for a medical reason when medical reasons are one of the reasons which cause people to buy C. It is even less likely that UA will clear an UG this far in advance.

If you need C for medical reasons, you will need to purchase it or fully understand that you will be faced with either not traveling or getting very lucky.

On the phone call issue, please consider Skype or any one of many VOIP services which will provide you with free to cheap international calls.

Leenco

I knew I would get this kind of reactions too, but I'm looking for a serious answer. In the past I bought upgrades (when they where affordable), requested them with miles and $$ (sometimes cleared, other times not) or just got them for free...

I know there is a certain "pecking order" and I'm "happy" to wait my turn. Only this time is different. Either the upgrade clears, or I may have to cancel my trip... (it'll prolly ruin my trip if I have to force my knee to be bend for such a long time)

I wish I didn't have to ask this question, which would mean I didn't need knee surgury right before I trip I'm looking fwd to for months.

So plz, if making fun of me is the only feedback you can give, keep it to yourself

PV_Premier

There's zero chance this will be successful. Even with a sympathetic agent the audit trail is too big of a risk for most agents to play ball. Your best bets are:

1. Watch R like a hawk and call in if you see it
2. Consider a flight change or an SDC if another route opens up with R
3. Consider using the medical waiver policy if your travel date is flexible

Clearing that route as a silver from a presumably low original fare bucket is going to take some luck.

Leenco

thx edcho, Often1 and PV_Premier for giving actual useful feedback instead of making fun of me

A question doesn't hurt right?

I guess I will watch if anything opens up in R daily and call in asap and hope for the best

I do understand that everyone's suddenly gonna be injured when they are flying to get an upgrade cleared if this were standard procedure. I was just wondering if it could happen or if it's out of the question... (I remember 14 years ago, they did gave me a bulkhead seat after the exact same surgury for my BRU-EWR trip, but they didn't on my EWR-LAS flight)

aacharya

14 years ago is not considered precedent. If you're going to request that we give you sound advice...

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Unless you're very tall, you can sit with straight legs in an Economy Plus seat. I can. Have you bought one? If you're really concerned about your leg vs the upgrade, you would have done that already. You just don't put anything under the seat in front of you. The problem with opening the door to pleaderers of medical reasons is the same reason there are more and more handicap spaces. Laziness or desire for something nicer suddenly becomes a handicap. Pretty soon a honest, healthy person couldn't buy a BF seat.

If you buy an E+ seat and get upgraded, you'll get your money back.

seenitall

Leenco: There is zero chance that UA will give you an advance BF upgrade for this flight based on the predicted condition of your knee four months from now. If it was a domestic flight, it is possible that a GA could exercise some discretion and push you up the UG list at the gate, but for international BF this is next to impossible.

I believe your only options are to:

1. Pay for a BF upgrade now.
2. Monitor R availability closely and hope something opens up before the flight (but note, even if the site shows R>0, it is possible the your UG request may not clear because UA seems to use this to entice new bookings, and only awards UGs to existing bookings when all hope of a completely incremental PAX is gone -- i.e., at the last minute).
3. If knee is immovable closer to flight time, request a doctor's statement to see if UA will allow a refund waiver.

Leenco

I underwent the exact same surgery 14 years ago, so I know what's ahead of me. I recently had a little accident that totally wrecked my knee again...
To get an appointment with the right surgeon takes time, I will be on the table by the end of June.

14 years ago, I could walk (with knee brace and crutches when I was too tired) after about 2 months. Bending my knee 90° took me over 6 months, same for a total stretch.

Diabeetus

The best case scenario I've ever seen, is a younger guy who got moved to an E+ seat free of charge by the FA on a non-full flight. But he had a full leg cast that kept him from bending his knee.

5khours

You have 4 choices.

1. Buy C.
2. Get a confirmed UG at booking.
3. Hope for a UG but be prepared to grin and bear it in Y.
4. Don't go.

Other than an onboard medical emergency, you will not get special treatment because of a medical condition unless you pay for it.